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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — a series
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of law
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — of a king
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — for sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — in control
  19. chest — of your body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rash — on the skin

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