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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rash — a series
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — of the year
  22. mug — a face
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — to hurry

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