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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — size or range
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — for pool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — to bend

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