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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — a practice
  3. spring — the season
  4. drill — the tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — of water
  9. tear — to rip
  10. drill — army training
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. dip — to sink
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. spring — a coil

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