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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — for pool

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