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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · bowl · ruler · foot · face · rest · kid · season

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — child
  6. season — of the year
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — in sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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