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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — hurry
  19. content — the amount
  20. swing — in golf
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. content — happy
  24. wound — an injury

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