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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cold — not warm
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rash — a series
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tube — a container
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — the bottom

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