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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spell — letters
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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