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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hand — help
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — the season
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — magic
  16. mug — a face
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mug — to rob
  24. arm — part of the body

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