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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pop — music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — a short time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — letters
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — to paddle

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