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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — an aim
  3. dip — to sink
  4. club — for golf
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mate — a partner
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. swing — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spell — letters
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — magic
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — a group

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