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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. band — a music group
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a ring
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. spell — a short time
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — letters
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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