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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · hand · suit · spell · straw · patient · tube · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — to fit
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — a position
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — a short time
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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