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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. game — a match
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — for betting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — all right
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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