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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — to recline
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — for a hammer

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