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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — of a king
  12. chair — a leader
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kid — child
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — of law
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — to tease
  22. tear — to rip
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chair — to sit on

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