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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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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rock — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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