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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — a leader
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. toast — bread
  8. tear — to rip
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — to come down
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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