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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. field — for sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — a container
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bore — to drill
  22. field — farmland
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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