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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — the time now
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. kick — in football
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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