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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pop — to visit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rest — a break
  24. ball — a great time

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