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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — in cards
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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