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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. race — a contest
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. race — the arms race
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spring — of water
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — animal skin

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