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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hand — help
  4. face — part of the head
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. club — a group
  20. face — to confront
  21. spell — letters
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rash — a series
  24. tear — from crying

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