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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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468
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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — in sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — of the year
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. season — to add flavour

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