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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — of the year
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. march — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mug — a face
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. file — a document
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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