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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a list
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — in golf
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. swing — to play on
  17. track — a path
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — music
  24. roll — a cake

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