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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for golf
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. foot — a measure
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — a thing
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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