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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. last — final
  3. spell — letters
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cue — a signal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. last — to go on
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. suit — to fit

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