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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rush — hurry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tube — a container
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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