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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — to tease
  3. track — a path
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kid — child
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — thin
  16. track — a song
  17. bat — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to bend

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