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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spell — letters
  4. chest — a box
  5. cap — of ice
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pound — a weight
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chest — of your body
  11. object — a thing
  12. roll — a list
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. object — to protest
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a lid
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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