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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bass — low music
  7. kid — to tease
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a hole

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