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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — to come down
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — the underground
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cell — a phone
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — ground
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. land — a country

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