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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — a box
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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