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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rule — government
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. spell — magic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cap — a lid

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