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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — a trail
  5. firm — a company
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — magic
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cell — a phone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — letters
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — a short time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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