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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — to fit
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. bear — the animal

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