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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. shower — rain
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — letters
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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