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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stock — shares
  7. mate — to breed
  8. clip — to cut
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. clip — a video
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chest — of your body
  24. clip — for paper

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