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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bound — obliged
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — a short time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bound — certain

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