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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cap — a hat
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. court — of a king
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cap — of ice
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. court — of law
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — for sport
  23. chest — a box
  24. bore — gave birth

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