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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.

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: spell · spring · rest · court · patient · present · staff · calf

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. court — for sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rest — a break
  9. present — the time now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. spring — of water
  23. present — there
  24. court — of law

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