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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — a container
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ground — a position
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — a price
  24. ground — the earth

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