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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spell — letters
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — a short time
  6. last — final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. last — finally
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. capital — a city
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. capital — money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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