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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rest — a break
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rest — what's left

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