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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bound — certain
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. pass — a permit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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