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

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a face
  16. clip — a video
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. clip — for paper
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — the underground
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — a cup

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