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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. march — music
  24. tube — a container

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