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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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