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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — to push

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