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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — clever
  7. foot — a measure
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pass — a permit
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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