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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: drill · patient · clip · wave · stick · pitcher · spell · fine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spell — magic
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. clip — a video
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. spell — a short time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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