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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — the fish
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wake — a trail
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — clever
  24. squash — the vegetable

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