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

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — rain
  4. foot — a measure
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — a series
  7. ground — a position
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — magic
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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