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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — the amount
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rest — a break
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. craft — boats
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. content — happy

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