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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. kid — child
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. kid — to tease
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. staff — employees

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