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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — magic
  14. wound — an injury
  15. firm — a company
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rash — a series
  18. firm — decided
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. firm — steady

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