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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. present — there
  18. bore — to drill
  19. field — for sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — in control
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — electricity

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