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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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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: wound · mark · cabinet · patient · racket · lie · object · pit

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a trace
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — to recline
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — to protest
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — in a race

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