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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — a line
  10. band — a music group
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — a permit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — to paddle
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. squash — the vegetable

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