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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — happy
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — letters
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spell — magic
  19. content — the amount
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rush — hurry
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stand — to bear
  24. trunk — of a tree

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