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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — a video
  5. roll — a list
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bore — to drill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. board — to get on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cue — a signal

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