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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — finally
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bear — the animal

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