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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. band — a ring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mug — a face
  19. band — a music group
  20. mug — a cup
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. foot — part of the body

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