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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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468
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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mine — for digging
  11. drill — the tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — letters
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — a short time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — a sick person

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