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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. face — to confront
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — to point toward
  19. snap — to click
  20. net — for catching
  21. face — part of the head
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. net — after costs
  24. patient — a sick person

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