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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chip — for betting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — to eat

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