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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. firm — decided
  7. present — there
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — thin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — a position
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — steady
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. firm — a company
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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