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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spell — magic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — for baseball

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