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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.

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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lean — to bend
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — magic
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. band — a music group
  18. bear — the animal

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