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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — clothes
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — to rob
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. field — for sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — a subject

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