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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kick — in football
  12. scale — size or range
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — shares
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stock — goods
  24. foot — the bottom

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