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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — the earth
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — letters
  20. swing — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — magic
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — to play on

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