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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — a friend
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pound — a weight
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mark — a trace
  24. suit — in cards

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