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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — a break
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — for paper
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. clip — a video
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ground — the earth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. clip — to cut

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