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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mark — a grade
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — to play on
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — help
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. firm — decided
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hand — part of the body

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