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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. perch — the fish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — of a king
  15. drill — a practice
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. drill — army training
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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