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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — rain
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — a phone

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