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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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 speak sharply
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to click
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — a lid
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a hat
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. perch — the fish
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a cup
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — for digging

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