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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — in cards
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — happy
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. hand — part of the body

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