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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. present — there
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. present — the time now
  8. field — farmland
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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