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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — magic
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — a weight
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — letters
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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