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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — hurry
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — to protest
  14. spring — the season
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — music
  24. spring — a coil

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