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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. suit — in cards
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — a match
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — a container
  20. suit — clothes
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — in a tire

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