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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spell — magic
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — letters
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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