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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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — completely
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. face — part of the head
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. face — to confront
  16. spell — letters
  17. rest — a break
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — magic
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. trunk — of a car

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