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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — to protest
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — an aim
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — to rip
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — in control
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. object — a thing
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tear — from crying

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