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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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Word bank
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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — to point toward
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. bank — of a river
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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