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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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. mark — a grade
  4. pop — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. squash — the sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pop — to visit

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