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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — letters
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — the earth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — in control
  22. season — of the year
  23. club — a group
  24. spell — magic

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