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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. swing — to play on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. swing — in golf
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. swing — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to click
  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