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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. snap — to click
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hand — in cards
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. dip — a sauce

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