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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — thin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — of ice
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — a measure

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