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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a music group
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chest — a box
  11. track — a path
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to click
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — a country
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. band — a ring
  22. land — to come down
  23. mark — a grade
  24. track — to keep track

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