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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — to get on
  6. last — to go on
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — final
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — a committee
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — to point toward
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — part of the head
  21. last — finally
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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