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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — magic
  6. mug — a face
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. spell — a short time
  11. shower — rain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — a cup
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — a loud noise

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