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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rest — a break
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — a stick
  17. track — a path
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — to keep track
  20. date — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — a song

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