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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. band — a music group
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — part of the head
  16. band — a ring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. face — to confront

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