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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hand — help
  3. lie — to recline
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — a law
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — government
  11. bark — to shout
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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