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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — letters
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — magic
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. spell — a short time
  24. calf — a young animal

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