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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — child
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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