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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rock — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rock — a stone

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