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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — thin
  22. game — a match
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — letters

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