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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cell — a phone
  8. craft — boats
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to sink
  13. last — final
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lean — thin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lean — to bend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — a skill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — to rest against

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