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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lean — to bend
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — a measure
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — in sport
  24. foot — part of the 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