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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lean — to bend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ground — a position
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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