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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: patient · pop · charge · snap · wound · key · hide · game

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. key — in music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — in control
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pop — music
  13. game — a match
  14. snap — to click
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — wild animals
  20. charge — electricity
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — soda
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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