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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spring — a coil
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pound — a weight
  13. firm — a company
  14. cue — for pool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — decided
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — of water
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — steady
  24. pound — for dogs

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