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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. present — the time now
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — there
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — letters
  11. field — a subject
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — farmland
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — for sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. patient — a sick person

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