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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. band — a ring
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. band — a music group
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — to pay attention

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