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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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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — magic
  5. rash — a series
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — letters
  18. rash — hasty

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