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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. face — to confront
  21. net — in sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. foot — a measure

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