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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a face
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. snap — to click
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — letters
  24. chest — of your body

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