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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a song
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — to keep track
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tear — from crying

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