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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — of ice
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kid — child
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. object — an aim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. object — to protest
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. object — a thing
  24. cap — a lid

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