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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a document
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — a break
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a line of people
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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