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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — to drill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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