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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a dance
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. chip — for betting
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wind — moving air
  24. game — wild animals

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