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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. foot — a measure
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rash — hasty
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — a series
  10. band — a ring
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — in control
  14. spell — a short time
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spell — magic
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — part of the body
  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