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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. snap — to click
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — obliged
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — to come down

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