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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. land — ground
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. band — a music group
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. chair — a leader
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — to come down
  22. snap — to click
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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