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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hand — help
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — to eat
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mark — a grade

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