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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. foot — a measure
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a lid
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wake — a trail
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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