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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — to fit
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. suit — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. game — a match

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