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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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 — the bottom
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — a video
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — child
  24. bulb — for light

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