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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: roll · trunk · cap · patient · rash · spell · toast · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — letters
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. rash — a series
  7. spell — a short time
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — bread
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cap — of ice
  24. spell — magic

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