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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. deal — to handle
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rash — a series
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — low music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bass — the fish
  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