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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. vault — a safe
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — to handle
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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