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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — magic
  6. fork — in a road
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — part of the head
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — to be able to
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. face — to confront
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — dry grass

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