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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. staff — a stick
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. land — a country
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fork — in a road
  8. staff — employees
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. land — to come down
  18. foot — a measure
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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