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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — thin
  6. spell — letters
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — the season
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ball — a dance
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — help
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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