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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to click
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rash — a series
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. suit — in cards
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. game — a kind of play

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