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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — in cards
  3. last — finally
  4. hand — help
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. temple — a place of worship

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