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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wind — moving air
  13. club — a group
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cabinet — ministers

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