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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitch — completely
  9. degree — from a university
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mark — a trace
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kid — to tease

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