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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. last — final
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. field — for sport
  15. rock — music
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — a measure
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — a trail
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. field — a subject
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. safe — out of danger

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