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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mug — a cup
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. sharp — clever

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