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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. track — a song
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cold — not warm
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cold — an illness

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