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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. shower — to wash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. roll — a cake
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a list
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — the cause
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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