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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. root — the cause
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rock — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. band — a ring
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. root — of a word
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — a hole
  20. root — of a plant
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. band — a music group

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