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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — a measure
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lean — thin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — the bottom

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