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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cap — of ice
  4. plane — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mark — a grade
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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