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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. season — of the year
  14. shower — to wash
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — to recline
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — a short time

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