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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — to come from
  12. key — for a lock
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. foot — a measure
  18. branch — a division
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. patient — a sick person

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