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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — the time now
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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