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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. snap — to click
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ruler — for measuring

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