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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · mark · object · club · wind · patient · saw · stick

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — a group
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — to rob
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mug — a face
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. saw — the tool

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