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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — the month
  11. spell — letters
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — magic
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. march — 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