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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — rain
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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