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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. 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. patient — a sick person
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — in sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. track — a song
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — for catching
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. 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