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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cap — a lid
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — to come down
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. land — a country

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