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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.

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: mug · arm · net · patient · pit · snap · rash · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — a series
  14. snap — to click
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. pit — in a race
  24. patient — a sick person

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