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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chair — a leader
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — part of the head
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. face — to confront
  18. foot — a measure
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — a trace
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. suit — in cards

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