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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a friend
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — in sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. net — after costs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. net — for catching
  24. fall — to drop

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