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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. root — of a word
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spell — magic
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — a friend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. root — the cause
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — to breed
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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