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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. drill — army training
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. shower — rain
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. drill — a practice

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