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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. shower — rain
  24. nail — on a finger

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