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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — crushed
  7. shower — to wash
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cue — a signal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. firm — decided
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — rain
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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