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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. key — the most important part
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. foot — a measure
  20. face — to confront
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. swing — music
  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