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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — on a finger

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