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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. track — a path
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — to keep track
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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