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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — certain
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — the fruit
  24. patient — a sick person

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