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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — letters
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wound — an injury
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — for a bird

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