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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. march — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. foot — a measure
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — there
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to spend time

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