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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kid — to tease
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pit — a hole
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kid — child
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kick — in football
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stand — for spectators

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