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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. file — a tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. file — a document
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — to recline
  24. file — a line of people

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