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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — a cake
  20. row — a line
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — help

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