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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spell — magic
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — an agreement

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