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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — army training
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — low music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — in cards
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — the tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. pit — a hole
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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