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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — a series
  6. object — to protest
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chest — of your body
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — a box
  13. object — a thing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — a measure
  16. object — an aim
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. chest — of your body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mine — for digging
  24. band — a ring

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