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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — letters
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rest — a break
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. toast — bread
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — magic

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