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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 120 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — all right
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — soda
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — a penalty

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