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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bank — of a river
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spell — letters
  20. file — a document
  21. perch — the fish
  22. dip — to sink
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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