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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. deal — to handle
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. dip — to sink
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. last — finally
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — magic
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. last — final

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