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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chest — a box
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — boats
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — a skill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your body

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