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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: foot · ruler · land · chip · wind · jam · lean · hide

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. land — to come down
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lean — thin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. land — a country
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — ground
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — the bottom

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