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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — there
  8. spell — magic
  9. present — a gift
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. toast — bread
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. present — the time now
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — to put up with

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