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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — the sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — to handle
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spell — a short time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — a safe
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spell — magic
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spell — letters
  18. fan — a supporter

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