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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mate — a friend
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — to get on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — hurry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cell — in biology

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