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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — a trail
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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