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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — a short time
  4. present — a gift
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — a face
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — to rob
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spell — magic
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pound — a weight

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