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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chest — a box
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. game — wild animals
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — a match
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — a list
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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