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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spell — a short time
  4. toast — bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. shower — rain
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rest — a break

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