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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. face — to confront
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rest — a break
  14. face — to point toward
  15. sharp — clever
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. content — happy
  18. current — of water
  19. content — the amount
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — a measure
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. current — electric
  24. sharp — with an edge

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