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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — magic
  4. mate — to breed
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — letters
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. face — part of the head
  20. staff — employees
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. perch — the fish
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — to lash out

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