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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 116 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. degree — from a university
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spell — a short time
  8. degree — an amount
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — boats
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — a skill
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — to handle
  24. dip — to sink

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