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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · mug · race · foot · spring · can · patient · clip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mug — to rob
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — the season
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. race — a contest
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — a coil
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rest — a break
  15. race — the arms race
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — humankind
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — of water
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a face

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