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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — child
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cue — a hint
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cue — a signal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. nail — for a hammer

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