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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — clever
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — soda
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — to bend
  15. court — of a king
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. court — for sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. court — of law
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hand — in cards
  24. foot — the bottom

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