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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cold — not warm
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — to fit

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