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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kid — child
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. foot — a measure
  19. file — a tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. kid — to tease
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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