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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — for sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — an aim
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — hurry

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