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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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