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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stock — goods
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to confront
  15. swing — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. swing — in golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — a trail
  24. face — to point toward

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