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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — hasty
  4. court — of law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — on the skin
  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