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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. object — to protest
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — a thing
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — an aim
  19. tear — to rip
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tear — from crying

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