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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. drill — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fall — the season
  7. wax — to grow
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — army training
  10. foot — a measure
  11. land — ground
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. land — a country
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. land — to come down
  24. fall — to drop

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