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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. roll — a list
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. roll — on a roll

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