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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · patient · chest · row · deal · stick · can · spell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chest — a box
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spell — letters
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. row — a line
  24. patient — a sick person

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