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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — a measure
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bat — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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