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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ground — crushed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — in control
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. charge — a price
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — an explosive

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