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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fall — the season
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. field — for sport
  19. mug — a face
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mug — a cup

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