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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.

Make a worksheet

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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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