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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rest — a break
  3. swing — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a dance
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — thin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — to play on
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — certain

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