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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — rain
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pit — a hole
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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