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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — a series
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — there
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. wound — an injury

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