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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. shower — to wash
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — for sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. snap — to click
  21. shower — rain
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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