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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — a series
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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