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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. spell — letters
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spell — magic
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. capital — a city
  20. swing — in golf
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — before a funeral

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