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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — happening now
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — of water

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