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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — of ice
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — to confront
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — to sink
  15. craft — boats
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a music group
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — to cool the air

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