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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 116 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hand — help
  23. board — to get on
  24. pit — a hole

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