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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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 — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. clip — a video
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. foot — a measure
  18. club — for dancing
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. stem — of a plant

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