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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — of water
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lean — thin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — for golf
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — a group

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