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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 124 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. field — farmland
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. field — a subject
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. face — to point toward
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. face — to confront
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — for sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — part of the head

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