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

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. band — a ring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — a measure
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — to recline
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — an untruth

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