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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bear · bat · lie · spell · chip · hand · patient

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hand — help
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — to put up with

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