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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — a stone
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. tear — to rip
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — to visit
  16. swing — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tear — from crying
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pop — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — in sport

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