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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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. track — a song
  4. bass — low music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pound — a weight
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — to keep track
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. press — to push
  23. bass — the fish
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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