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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — to bear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — a face
  8. clip — a video
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. clip — to cut
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. clip — for paper
  21. lean — thin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. court — of a king

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