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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bass — low music
  16. firm — steady
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bat — in an idiom

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