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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. staff — a stick
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. capital — a city
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mate — a friend
  7. staff — employees
  8. capital — money
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — for digging
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — ministers

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