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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — a song
  11. object — to protest
  12. kid — to tease
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. deal — to handle
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. object — an aim
  22. kid — child
  23. cell — in biology
  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