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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. board — to get on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. net — in sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — for catching
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — thin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. net — after costs

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