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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — for betting
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — a series
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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