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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — to keep track
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a music group
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. shower — rain
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a rubber band

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