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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — a company
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pit — a hole
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. band — a music group
  17. firm — steady
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kid — child
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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