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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the fish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — low music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to bend
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — a thrill

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