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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tear — to rip
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — part of the head
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — to point toward
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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