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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — rain
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — a signal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — to play on

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