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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a trace
  3. suit — clothes
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — a division
  9. spell — a short time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a grade
  12. scale — size or range
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — in cards

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