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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. plane — in geometry

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