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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — child
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — the season
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spring — of water
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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