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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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