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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spell — magic
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — a break
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. season — of the year
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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