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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hand — in cards
  14. clip — a video
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — to cut
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mouse — the animal

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