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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — there
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — a company
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. firm — decided
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — the time now
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of a tree

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