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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — hasty
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. shower — rain
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. shower — to wash
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rash — a series

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