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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — a group
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. tube — the underground
  11. face — part of the head
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — in cards
  21. club — for dancing
  22. face — to point toward
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — the bottom

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