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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — help
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. net — for catching
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. net — after costs
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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