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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — army training
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a cake
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — to get on
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — a measure
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. roll — a list
  22. prune — to trim
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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