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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — soda

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