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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — a position
  8. snap — to click
  9. ground — crushed
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. toast — bread
  12. fall — the season
  13. tube — a container
  14. rule — government
  15. tube — the underground
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rule — a law
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. foot — a measure

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