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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ball — a great time
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — letters
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pop — music

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