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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · patient · rash · deal · season · can · pop · mark

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rash — hasty
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. season — in sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — a series
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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