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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — to breed
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spell — magic
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mate — a friend
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mate — a partner

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