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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chair — a leader

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