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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. foot — a measure
  3. band — a music group
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. band — a ring
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to click
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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