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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bat — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. perch — the fish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — to play on
  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