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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.

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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hand — in cards

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