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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — a song
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. track — a path
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the instrument

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