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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cue — for pool
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cue — a hint
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — all right
  19. shower — rain
  20. cue — a signal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — high quality

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