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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — steady
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. dip — to sink

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