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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — humankind
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. race — a contest
  20. spell — magic
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. race — the arms race

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