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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — high quality
  6. clip — a video
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to sink
  10. clip — to cut
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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