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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cue — a hint
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. file — a tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cue — for pool
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. safe — out of danger

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