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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. swing — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. swing — in golf

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