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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — a partner
  3. tube — a container
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — magic

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