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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to click
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. season — of the year
  8. march — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — in sport
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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