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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mark — a trace
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. foot — a measure
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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