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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bass — low music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. field — for sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. field — farmland
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. field — a subject
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wind — moving air

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