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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — to come down
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. land — a country
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. land — ground
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mark — a grade
  24. patient — a sick person

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