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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a ring
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — a position
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chest — a box
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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