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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. face — to point toward
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — a stick
  15. march — the month
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rash — a series
  18. march — music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to confront

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