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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rush — hurry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — a series
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — the tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — low music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rash — on the skin

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