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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. file — a tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a document
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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