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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — happy
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a grade
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — low music
  24. nail — on a finger

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