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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bat — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rush — a thrill

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