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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — to crush
  8. roll — a list
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cap — a lid
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a cake
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — a hat
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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