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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — a division
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. current — of water
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. foot — a measure
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — help

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