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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — a measure
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — to breed
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — to hit hard

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