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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — from a university
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. degree — an amount
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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