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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bound — tied together
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — the tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — the time now
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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