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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — to rob
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mug — a face
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. roll — a list
  17. band — a music group
  18. fine — high quality
  19. roll — a cake
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fine — all right
  24. spell — a short time

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