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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — magic
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. shower — rain
  24. fork — in a road

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