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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. march — the month
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. court — of a king
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — letters
  7. tear — from crying
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of law
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — the fish
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spell — a short time
  20. march — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — on a finger

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