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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a dance

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