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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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Word bank
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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: chest · lean · foot · dip · bore · wax · hide · jam

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bore — to drill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chest — a box
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wax — to grow
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — thin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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