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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.

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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mate — a partner
  5. toast — bread
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — letters
  23. drill — a practice
  24. dip — to dunk

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