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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — in music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. key — the most important part
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. present — there
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. present — the time now
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. bear — to put up with

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