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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — a position
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — a list
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ground — the earth
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mark — a trace
  24. can — a tin

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