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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pit — in a race
  7. land — a country
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — to come down
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — a break
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — ground
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. march — the month

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