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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — the cause
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. root — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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