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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — a grade
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. branch — a division
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cell — in biology
  15. track — to keep track
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cell — a phone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — a path
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ball — a great 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