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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. squash — the sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pit — a hole

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