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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. foot — the bottom
  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