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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — a measure
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a ring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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