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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — to confront
  7. present — a gift
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ground — a position
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. craft — a skill
  24. patient — a sick person

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