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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. land — to come down
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cap — of ice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — ground
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. press — a publisher
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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