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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — an aim
  3. shower — rain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — there
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. object — a thing
  10. present — the time now
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. shower — to wash
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — to protest
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. deal — to handle

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