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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cold — an illness

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