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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.

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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: cell · foot · cap · drill · game · rest · deal · object

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. object — a thing
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — army training
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cell — in biology
  15. drill — a practice
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. object — an aim
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — to protest
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. game — wild animals

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