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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.

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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. roll — a cake
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. land — to come down
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — a country
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. mark — a grade

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