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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — after costs
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to point toward
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — part of the head
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — in sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a document
  24. dip — a sauce

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