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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. spring — the season
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spell — a short time
  8. row — a line
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. race — humankind
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. row — to paddle
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — a sports field

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