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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. 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. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — a short time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lean — to bend
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lean — thin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. 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