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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spell — a short time
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — army training
  19. spell — letters
  20. cold — an illness
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — magic

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