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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — steady
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. firm — decided
  13. mine — for digging
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. current — happening now
  23. spell — a short time
  24. current — electric

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