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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — help
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — boats
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. squash — the sport

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