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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. clip — to cut
  3. suit — clothes
  4. clip — a video
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mug — a cup
  10. land — a country
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. suit — in cards
  20. land — to come down
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. clip — for paper

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