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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — help
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kid — to tease
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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