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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. row — a line
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. can — to be able to

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