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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. firm — steady
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rash — a series
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. object — to protest

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