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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spring — the season
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bore — to drill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spring — of water
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — help
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bore — gave birth

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