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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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. row — a quarrel
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mug — a face
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. row — a line

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