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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — to wash
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — rain
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — a break
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — letters

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