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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. court — of a king
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — of law
  24. foot — a measure

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