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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. foot — a measure
  6. tube — a container
  7. bat — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — obliged
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. trunk — of a car

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