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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ground — crushed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rest — a break
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — farmland
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — for sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — the most important part
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — a position
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wake — a trail

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