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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — completely
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lean — thin
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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