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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to click
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — a cake
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. patient — a sick person

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