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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — a country
  7. chair — a leader
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — to cut
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — to come down
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. clip — for paper
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. rash — a series

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