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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — a series
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rash — hasty
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rush — hurry
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — temperature

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