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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — to bear
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — to sink
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — to wash
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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