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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — for catching
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. object — an aim
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — a thing
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — a trainer

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