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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kick — in football
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — to protest
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — letters
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. ball — a great time
  16. object — a thing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — to breed
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mate — a friend
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — a short time

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