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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.

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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. race — a contest
  6. spell — a short time
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — magic
  14. race — the arms race
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — newspapers
  17. race — humankind
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. dip — a sauce

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