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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — a country
  3. spell — letters
  4. mark — a grade
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — happening now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — ground
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — a trace
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — to come down
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — out of danger

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