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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — the time now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — there
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — a match
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. present — a gift
  24. game — wild animals

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