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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. spell — letters
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spell — magic
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — a thrill

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