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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. object — a thing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — to protest
  20. clip — a video
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — to cool the air

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