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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — to get on
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tear — to rip
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. club — for dancing
  20. band — a music group
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a rubber band

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