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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — high quality
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — magic
  18. fine — all right
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. row — a line
  22. spell — letters
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. saw — the tool

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