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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. snap — to click
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — hasty
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hand — help
  19. rash — a series
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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