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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. deal — to handle
  6. plane — a tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — magic
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — a big deal

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