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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 124 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spell — magic
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. firm — decided
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spell — letters
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. firm — a company
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. firm — steady
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — a box
  24. ruler — for measuring

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