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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. board — to get on
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. board — a committee
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — happening now

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