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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — final
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mate — to breed
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mate — a friend
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mate — a partner
  24. degree — an amount

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