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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. track — a path
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. track — to keep track
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to click
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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