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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — magic
  5. suit — in cards
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. charge — in control
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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