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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. spell — a short time
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spell — letters
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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