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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — the season
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a line of people
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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