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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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468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — for betting

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