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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. field — a subject
  3. mate — to breed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — for sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mate — a friend
  21. object — to protest
  22. pop — soda
  23. temple — side of the head
  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