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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — to handle
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ground — a position
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — rain
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. craft — boats

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