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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. sharp — clever
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a dance
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. last — final
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — a hat
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. last — to go on

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