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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal

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