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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — in cards
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — to come down
  8. hand — help
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spell — letters
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — ground
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. cell — a phone
  20. land — a country
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. board — a committee

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