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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — all right
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spell — magic
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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