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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. march — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — of the year
  5. charge — in control
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — a price
  14. rest — a break
  15. charge — electricity
  16. snap — to click
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — a hint
  20. season — in sport
  21. bat — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. season — to add flavour

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