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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. degree — temperature
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bat — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pound — a weight
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — finally
  17. file — a line of people
  18. degree — an amount
  19. last — final
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — obliged

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