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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — in control
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. tear — from crying

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