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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. foot — a measure
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — the season
  14. scale — size or range
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. scale — in music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fall — to drop

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