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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — in cards
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mug — a cup
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hand — help
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cap — a lid
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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