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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 120 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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cold — an illness
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cold — not warm
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — thin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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