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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — government
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — a trail
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. date — on the calendar

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