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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. snap — to click
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — help
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — a company
  17. swing — music
  18. rock — music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — steady

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