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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — the earth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — a position
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spell — a short time

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