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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to point toward
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — help
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — in cards
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitch — completely
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to click

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