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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mark — to pay attention

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