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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — letters
  8. mate — to breed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — magic
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — an explosive

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