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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rest — a break
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — all right
  11. fork — in a road
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spell — letters
  24. safe — out of danger

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