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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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Word bank
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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cue — a signal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — child
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — for pool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. board — a committee
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. board — to get on
  21. kid — to tease
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — an injury

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