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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to click
  5. roll — a list
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. mug — to rob
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mug — a face
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. patient — a sick person

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