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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — magic
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rest — a break
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rest — what's left

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