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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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