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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rock — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — child
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. dip — to sink
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. racket — for tennis

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