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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — magic
  9. suit — in cards
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. club — for golf
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. clip — for paper
  18. club — a group
  19. clip — a video
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — letters
  24. degree — an amount

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