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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. object — an aim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — a video
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — to protest
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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