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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. face — part of the head
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kid — child
  10. bass — low music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — help
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — the instrument

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