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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mug — a cup
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — a container
  21. bank — of a river
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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