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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a partner
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a friend
  24. staff — employees

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