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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. kid — child
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — finally
  7. swing — music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. last — final
  13. lean — thin
  14. board — a committee
  15. last — to go on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — to get on
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kid — to tease
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — for money

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