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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · object · lie · cell · degree · craft

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — an aim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — boats
  7. degree — from a university
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lie — to recline

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