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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. last — finally
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — moving air
  11. last — to go on
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. last — final
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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