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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rest — a break
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — a face
  24. patient — a sick person

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