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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mug — a cup
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pit — a hole
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. foot — a measure
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mug — a face
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. foot — part of the body

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