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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — a hat
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. court — for sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of a king
  16. clip — to cut
  17. court — of law
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wind — moving air
  20. clip — a video
  21. foot — a measure
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — lets stay

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