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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — the season
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. rash — a series
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — the time now
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — there
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ball — a dance
  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