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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a word
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — low music
  9. spring — of water
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — the season
  13. root — of a plant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fall — the season
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. root — the cause

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