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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — army training
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a path
  10. foot — a measure
  11. drill — a practice
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — the tool

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