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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — boats
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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