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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. present — there
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — to handle
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. present — a gift
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. present — the time now
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — the tool

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