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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bat — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — the earth
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — a position
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mate — a partner
  24. object — a thing

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