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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. snap — to click
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — wild animals
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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