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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. suit — clothes
  3. face — to point toward
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — there
  8. last — finally
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — magic
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to confront
  21. spell — letters
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — in cards
  24. swing — 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