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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — in control
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tear — from crying
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tear — to rip
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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