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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — temperature
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pass — a permit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — a garden 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