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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. spell — magic
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hide — to keep secret

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