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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. foot — a measure
  18. track — a path
  19. season — in sport
  20. track — a song
  21. season — of the year
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. saw — the tool
  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