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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cell — in biology
  5. staff — a stick
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — a phone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — an aim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. object — to protest

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