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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mug — to rob
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to click
  9. mug — a face
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to confront
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mug — a cup
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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