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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. season — of the year
  6. march — the month
  7. season — in sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spell — magic
  10. march — the month
  11. hand — in cards
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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