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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. staff — employees
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wind — moving air

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