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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — ground
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. land — to come down
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. land — a country
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a match
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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