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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. present — the time now
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — a gift
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. present — there

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