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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — in sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. season — of the year
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ground — the earth
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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