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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — steady
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — to recline
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. foot — a measure

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