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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — all right
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a music group
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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