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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — there
  6. staff — a stick
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — a gift
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — to play on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. swing — in golf

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