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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lie — to recline
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cold — not warm
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. snap — to click
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. craft — boats
  14. mug — a face
  15. rest — a break
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cold — an illness
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — what's left

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