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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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kid — to tease
  6. present — a gift
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. object — a thing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. object — to protest
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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