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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bass — low music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rash — a series
  13. capital — money
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. capital — a city
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. spell — letters
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bear — the animal

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