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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. object — to protest
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — rain
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chip — for betting
  10. date — the fruit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — a thing
  18. cap — a hat
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — obliged
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — an aim

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