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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 124 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — letters
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — music
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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