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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. club — for golf
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. face — to confront
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mine — for digging
  19. foot — a measure
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — a weight
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for dancing
  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