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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cold — an illness
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — music
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mine — for digging
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lash — an eyelash

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