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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. firm — steady
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to click
  15. firm — decided
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. net — after costs
  23. firm — a company
  24. mark — a grade

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