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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — of your body
  16. scale — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — a measure

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