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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — of a king
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lean — thin

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