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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — in football
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — a thrill

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