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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — the time now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hand — help
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — there
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fine — high quality
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — a gift
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. patient — a sick person

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