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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. snap — to click
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — army training
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — wild animals
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chip — for betting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — the tool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — in a computer

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