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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. track — a song
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — not warm
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rock — music

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