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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chip — for betting
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — a song
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. track — a path
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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