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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 124 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — an aircraft

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