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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. present — there
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fall — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — of a word
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com