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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cue — for pool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — the month
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — the animal

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