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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chest — a box
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — on a finger

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