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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — farmland
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — to tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — letters
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a document
  21. mate — to breed
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a great time

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