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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — a trace
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — animal skin

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