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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. spell — letters

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