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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — to bend
  5. board — to get on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lean — thin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a committee
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pop — to visit
  17. shower — rain
  18. staff — employees

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