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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — magic
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cell — a phone
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — letters
  15. swing — music
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — help

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