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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chip — for betting
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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