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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rash — a series
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — a box
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chest — of your 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