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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ground — crushed
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — for a bird
  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