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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. suit — in cards
  5. foot — a measure
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rule — a law
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rule — government
  15. shower — rain
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chair — a leader
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. file — a tool

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