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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. last — final
  3. object — to protest
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — an aim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chest — a box
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. last — finally
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — music
  23. last — to go on
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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