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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — in a race
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. snap — to click
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bass — low music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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