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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cue — a signal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rock — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pop — to visit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — moving air
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pop — music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — on the skin

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