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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — a company
  4. cold — not warm
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cold — an illness
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — steady
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. hand — help
  19. press — to push
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — a hat

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