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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. current — of water
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hand — help
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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