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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — letters
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mug — a face
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spring — of water
  24. mouse — for a computer

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