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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. present — the time now
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rash — hasty
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. rash — a series
  22. mark — a trace
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — to pay attention

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