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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — a line
  7. last — finally
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. pop — soda
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — in a race
  14. plane — a tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. last — final
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — a hole
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. saw — the tool

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