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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.

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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — a permit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — crushed
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — help
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — part of the body

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