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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a music group
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. band — a ring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a match
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — a stone

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