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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. object — a thing
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — for golf
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — to protest
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. degree — from a university
  24. club — a group

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