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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — the fish
  9. date — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — a measure
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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