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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. ground — a position
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — the earth
  16. face — to confront
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. racket — for tennis
  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