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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to click
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wind — moving air
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a great time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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