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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — in sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rush — hurry
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. firm — decided
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — steady
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — a list
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — an agreement

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