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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. 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. spell — a short time
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — the season
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — government
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — thin
  18. fine — all right
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spell — letters
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. 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