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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. bat — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cue — for pool

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