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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — magic
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — letters
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — a law
  23. chair — a professorship
  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