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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — music
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — in cards
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. last — finally
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — of the sea

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