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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — the season
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stock — shares
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hand — help
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — a series
  24. stock — a soup base

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