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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fine — all right
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a line of people

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