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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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