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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. object — a thing
  6. season — of the year
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kid — child
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — in sport
  20. object — an aim
  21. rush — hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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