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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. kid — to tease
  3. game — a match
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. craft — a skill
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. game — wild animals
  16. kid — child
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — boats
  21. object — an aim
  22. rash — a series
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rash — hasty

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