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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — the tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. foot — the bottom

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