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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mate — a partner
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a friend
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mate — to breed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — moving air

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