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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. land — a country
  3. spell — letters
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spell — magic
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — ground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mate — a friend
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — a partner
  24. arm — part of the body

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