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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. current — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bore — to tire
  8. land — to come down
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — electric
  13. march — music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — a country
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. current — happening now
  21. land — ground
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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