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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 120 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — a gift
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — the fish

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