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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — a gift
  11. spell — magic
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — the time now
  16. object — to protest
  17. suit — clothes
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. object — an aim
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — a thing

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