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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — army training
  3. mug — to rob
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cue — a signal

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