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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. craft — boats
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — of a king
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — for sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a skill
  19. court — of law
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rest — what's left
  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