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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — a measure
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — not warm
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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