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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spring — of water
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — the season
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — for pool
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — happy
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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