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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fine — all right
  3. chest — a box
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. track — a path
  8. chest — of your body
  9. track — a song
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. object — a thing
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rest — a break
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — an aim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — of the year
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fine — high quality
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — what's left

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