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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spell — magic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mate — a friend
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — letters
  18. spring — the season
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — a break

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