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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a friend
  6. present — there
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mate — a partner
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — a series
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — a face
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mug — to rob
  18. present — a gift
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — the time now
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. shower — rain

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