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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rash — a series
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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