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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fork — in a road
  6. snap — to click
  7. spell — magic
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — letters
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — of water
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tear — to rip
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rest — a break
  23. stock — shares
  24. fork — to eat with

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