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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. march — the month
  10. mark — a grade
  11. squash — the sport
  12. march — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spell — letters
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — a trace

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