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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — the tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. game — a match
  20. squash — the sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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