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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — letters
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a song
  6. spell — magic
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — before a funeral

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