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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wound — an injury
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. shower — rain
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kick — in football
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — crushed
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. kick — a thrill
  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