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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — a list
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rest — what's left

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