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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. patient — a sick person

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