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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. race — a contest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — magic
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — there
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — a gift
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. swing — in golf
  24. spell — letters

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