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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. mug — to rob
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mug — a face
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — to crush
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. squash — the sport
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — all right

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