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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mate — to breed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. drill — army training
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mate — a partner
  9. key — the most important part
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. court — of a king
  12. mug — a face
  13. mate — a friend
  14. key — in music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — for a lock
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spell — letters
  19. court — for sport
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. court — of law

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