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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — a thing
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — for sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — an aim
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — to protest
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — a series
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rash — on the skin

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