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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fine — all right
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — of the year
  8. lean — to bend
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chip — for betting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. squash — to crush

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