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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — of law
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — for sport
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — of a king
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spell — a short time
  19. squash — the sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — letters

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