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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — to be able to

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