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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a song
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. last — final
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — to go on
  18. spring — of water
  19. track — a path
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — to keep track
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — letters

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