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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — a thing
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a line of people
  15. object — an aim
  16. file — a tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. object — to protest
  21. file — a document
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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