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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — to fit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. chip — in a computer

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