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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — the fruit
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — of law
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — to protest
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — an aim
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — a thing

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