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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — to rob
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — a cup

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