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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — a series
  9. ground — crushed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — in golf
  15. key — in music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ground — a position
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stand — for spectators
  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