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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — a thing

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