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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — a gift
  3. squash — to crush
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. present — there
  7. charge — in control
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. track — to keep track
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. track — a song
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — the time now

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