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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — a short time
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. squash — the sport
  8. present — there
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spell — letters
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — magic
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — for catching
  20. cell — a phone
  21. root — the cause
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. net — in sport

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