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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. charge — in control
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — for betting
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — a short time
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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