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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — army training
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — in cards
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. foot — a measure

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