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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chair — a leader
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tear — from crying
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a list
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mine — for digging
  21. spell — letters
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fine — a penalty

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