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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. key — in music
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — a division
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a music group
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to click
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. foot — a measure

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