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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — a list
  10. hand — help
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. chest — a box
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — a trace

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