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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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Word bank
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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — in sport
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — a series
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a list
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — hasty
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. season — of the year
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — music
  24. game — a kind of play

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