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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mug — a face
  8. spring — the season
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hand — help
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spring — of water
  18. band — a music group
  19. ground — a position
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ground — crushed
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — in cards

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