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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rash — a series

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