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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rash — hasty
  3. scale — in music
  4. rule — a law
  5. kid — child
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kid — to tease
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — a series

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