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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — a measure
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spring — a coil
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — in sport
  16. file — a tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. toast — bread
  21. file — a document
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. arm — part of the body

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