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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cold — not warm
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. board — a committee
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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