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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. firm — decided
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. hand — help
  13. firm — steady
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. firm — a company
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cue — for pool
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a hint

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