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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. content — happy
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rock — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cold — the Cold War

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