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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: hide · foot · jam · lean · present · club · band · cabinet

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — a gift
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — the time now
  9. lean — thin
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — a group
  18. band — a ring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. lean — to rest against

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