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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — a gift
  5. capital — money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — to recline
  16. present — there
  17. capital — a city
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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