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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — clever
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. present — there
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. present — the time now
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. saw — the tool

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