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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. game — wild animals
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — a series
  5. clip — a video
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — in control
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a line
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rash — hasty
  24. clip — for paper

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