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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a trace
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — the time now
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. last — to go on
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — to tease
  17. present — there
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — final
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — child
  24. mark — a grade

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