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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 120 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: mark · race · patient · cue · arm · saw · chair · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. race — the arms race
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chair — a leader
  15. race — a contest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. swing — in golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. race — humankind
  23. swing — music
  24. cue — a hint

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