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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. snap — to click
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — to bear
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. root — of a word
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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