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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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