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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: patient · rest · bore · wake · dip · fine · saw · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fine — all right
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spell — magic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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