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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. shower — rain
  6. track — to keep track
  7. row — a line
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — a song
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — hurry

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