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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — letters
  18. 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