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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cap — a lid
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. march — the month
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — in football
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. march — music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mug — a face
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rock — music

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