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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spell — magic
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. row — a line
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. row — to paddle
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. clip — a video
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. clip — for paper

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