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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mark — a trace
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. chest — a box
  24. lean — to rest against

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