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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. field — farmland
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. present — a gift
  5. field — a subject
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — for sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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