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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. land — a country
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — all right
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. roll — a list
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — a cake
  19. land — to come down
  20. snap — to click
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — ground
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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