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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — a signal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — a hint
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to click
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — a coil
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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