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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. field — a subject
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — magic
  15. fall — the season
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — to play on
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. swing — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — farmland
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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